Westbrooke Green developers granted demolition extension

Westbrooke Green developers were recently granted a 10-month extension to demolish existing buildings on the site where the mixed-use project will be constructed.

At its meeting on Sept. 24, the Shawnee City Council unanimously voted to allow the milestone for the demolition be extended to Aug. 1; the original deadline had been Oct. 1.

Westbrooke Green is set to be constructed at the site of the dormant Westbrooke Village Shopping Center, which sits on the northeast corner of 75th Street and Quivira Road.

The $113 million project is expected to feature high-end apartments, retail and restaurants.

Late last year, the council approved a $31.8 million tax incentive package for the project, which includes $21.5 million in Tax Increment Financing and $10 million from a 1.5 percent Community Improvement District sales tax.

The council voted on the extension last week without discussion.

A couple people from the audience spoke during the public hearing, however.

Shawnee resident Ray Erlichman, who lives near the future Westbrooke Green site, reminded councilmembers that last year he asked them to postpone voting on the project until after the new councilmembers were sworn into office. But, the vote went forward anyway much to his frustration.

“Some of the reasons given for moving forward were ‘we’ve got to do it now because the developer has to get going, move along with this thing,’” Erlichman said. “Well, that didn’t come true, did it? Now we’re postponing it.”

He told the governing body he worried the developer would ask for another extension on the demolition in August.

He told the council the project is still actively moving along and he anticipates construction for Westbrooke Green will align with the project’s original timeline, despite the delay in demolition.

“You have to be mindful of current tenants in the project and make sure you’re coordinating with them appropriately,” he explained, referring to the businesses still remaining at the shopping center. “All of it is moving (along). We’re being respectful to those who are doing business there now, putting our capital stack together, and we’ll be demolishing this project we hope well before August.

“It’s a big project and we don’t anticipate being at this podium asking for an extension on every milestone.”

The Westbrooke Green project team is a joint venture between Mission Peak Capital and Extell Development Company. It also includes Petersen, Polsinelli; engineer Brad Sonner, Olsson Associates and architects Clint Evans and Tim Homburg, NSPJ Architects.